


Whiteout

by Medie



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Jarvis lives, M/M, post: captain america: civil war, tumblr ficlets, zero spoilers because I know like none
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-22
Updated: 2015-08-22
Packaged: 2018-04-16 13:58:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4627887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Medie/pseuds/Medie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky takes a snowball to the face and it starts coming back. However Rhodey? Fast on the draw and Steve has really warm hands.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Whiteout

**Author's Note:**

> fic does feature Bucky starting to flashback on the freezer. This was supposed to be a little bit of a light-hearted drabble. I think I managed to split the difference though.
> 
>  
> 
> (Also yes I resurrected JARVIS. That AI is fucking smart, okay? He would've found a way to back himself up!)

It's one of those charity things that Stark does. Bucky's not complaining. He knows that after all the shit that went down with, well, *everything*, this is the kind of PR bullshit thing that actually helps with people not hating them. Besides, it's actually kind of fun?

Like, Nat's organized a squad of little girls into some kind of snowball ninja hit squad and they're sneak-attacking Barton and Sam all over the place. Banner's gone green and is literally sitting in the middle of the park with a bunch of giggling kids running around behind him while he throws massive snowballs at Thor who is helpfully blowing them apart midair with small lightning strikes.

And that's not even counting the number of times he's seen Stevie herd kids in behind his shield so they could attack Tony properly. (Which Stark just fucking *loves* in a kind of way that makes Bucky hate Howard just a little bit more, because he *knows* that reaction, okay?)

They're in a park across from the tower. One Tony had built during the reconstruction. It's fucking freezing and, other from that, he's having a good time. 

At least, right up until the world goes white with Tony's shout of, "“Don’t you dare throw that snowba-, goddammit!”

It's mostly that he doesn't see it coming. He's taken plenty of hits from snowballs all afternoon. A couple even in the face. They didn't bother him, but this..

When he sucks in a breath snow comes with it and he starts coughing, choking, remembering the flood of freezing air rushing into his lungs as he's pulled under *again* and Bucky just stumbles forward. He doesn't really see where he's doing, doesn't look, just moves. He's not totally lost in it, not yet, and he's aware enough that he can hear Rhodes call his name a second before a warm, bare hand brushes snow from his face. 

"You're good," Rhodes is saying, calm and steady, like everything's normal. "Tony's getting chewed out for cussing in front of the kids, but that's nothing new." 

"Get me out of here," Bucky grits out, teeth chattering. "*Please.*"

"Already on it," Rhodes assures "Sam's getting Steve. Tony's on angry mom patrol. Just a few seconds you'll be inside and JARVIS'll have the biggest goddamn hot chocolate you've ever seen waiting for you. Little marshmallows and everything. Whipped cream if you want." 

Bucky wants to laugh, but he's too cold. Too shaky. He needs out. He's shivering with cold the way he'd been for days after the drugs had worn out of his system and he'd really, *really* woken up. 

Steve isn't waiting for them when they cross the street and reach the tower, but he's not far behind either. 

"What happened?" he's saying as he pulls off his gloves, tossing them to the floor. Distantly, some part of Bucky that's probably Steve's ma starts yelling about making a mess on Stark's floors, but it never reaches his lips. He just looks at Steve and hears the same brittle edge on his voice that's spreading through Bucky now. 

"Some kid threw a surprise one," Rhodes answers. "Got our boy square in the face." He's got hold of Bucky's elbow and doesn't let go until Steve's right there to replace him. 

"I'm fine," Bucky says, but it's probably the shittiest lie he's ever told. 

"Sure, Buck," Steve agrees, sliding his hand down Bucky's arm until he can get Bucky's glove off too and tangle their fingers together. "Thanks, Jim." 

Whatever Rhodes says in response, Bucky doesn't hear because the feeling of Steve holding his hand has his total attention. It's the best goddamn thing he's ever felt. He clings tighter, muttering, "Should be over this," as he lets Steve lead him into the elevator. "Probably scared the unholy hell out of that kid."

"Nah, he made Iron Man swear," Steve laughs, not waiting for the elevator doors to close before he tugs Bucky into his arms and leans back against the wall. "*That part* I got. His mother's furious, but he's wearing it like a badge of honor."

Bucky guesses he'll laugh about that later, but in the meantime he can feel the cold leeching out of him with every pass of Steve's hands up and down his back. "Probably be on Youtube by lunch."

"Nah, now." Steve waits a beat before he says. "You know there's not really a timetable for getting over this stuff, Buck. I don't even think anybody's tried writing one. Should've seen me when I first got out of the ice." It's probably supposed to be a laugh, the sound he makes, but at best it's a parody of one. "Nothing felt right or real until I saw you on the street that day. You were trying to kill me and, still, everything just...snapped in."

"Alien invasion probably didn't help your sense of reality," Bucky mumbles into Steve's neck. 

That gets him a laugh for real and Steve's chin knocks against Bucky's head. That nets him an apology kiss in his hair, but it's not enough. Bucky's still too jittery, too raw, to put distance between them again. He needs something *real* to hang onto and before Steve can say anything else, he catches his mouth in a kiss. 

Bucky knows he's not the only one rattled, but it doesn't really show until Steve lunges. He ends up pressed against the elevator doors with Captain America sucking on his tongue and it feels fan--fucking--tastic. 

He thinks, maybe, JARVIS calls a warning before the elevator doors open, but this ain't their first dance. Steve hauls him upright even as Bucky two-steps it across the threshold and, somehow, they don't even break a limb. 

Don't even stumble until, ever so helpful, JARVIS says, "Your hot chocolate is ready now, sir." 

"Hot chocolate?" Steve mumbles, grinning. "Really?"

"With little marshmallows," Bucky agrees. "Rhodes promised."

"Whipped cream, too, Captain," JARVIS supplies, ever helpful.

"Whipped cream?" Steve's eyebrows rise. "Well, I think we can definitely use that." He kisses Bucky slower, more careful, like he's testing the waters. "You up for it? We can build a fire, have the hot chocolate...save the whipped cream for later?"

"All of the above," Bucky says, "Right now." 

This isn't about fixing it. Sex isn't going to make any of it go away. Neither of them are that fucking stupid to think it will, but they need to get out of their heads for a while. He needs to warm up. Needs to lose himself in Steve and everything that's still *right* with them. 

The rest they can work on later. Right now? They are wearing too many goddamn clothes and not enough whipped cream.


End file.
